


a love story as told by owls

by professortennant



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, F/M, Love Letters, Owls, Philinda Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2015-12-21
Packaged: 2018-05-08 02:46:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5480381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/professortennant/pseuds/professortennant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil and Melinda are the best Aurors, but after Bahrain, everything changes and all they have left is letters and owls. Written for Philinda Secret Santa 2015 with the prompt, "old fashioned love letters"</p>
            </blockquote>





	a love story as told by owls

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mitchnel38](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=mitchnel38).



The partnerships formed at the Auror Academy were legendary: Clint Barton and Natasha Romanov; Peggy Carter and Edwin Jarvis; and Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes.

Phil Coulson and Melinda May were well on their way to joining the ranks of legendary teams that the English Auror Academy had produced. Between Phil’s strength in Potion’s and Magical Creatures and Melinda’s proficiency in Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts, they were an unstoppable team.

Beyond their professional relationship, they had developed a kind of easy-going friendship that they often relied on outside of the job. Phil’s flat above the Leaky Cauldron had seen its fair share of drunken nights and quiet, intimate moments (like Phil’s hand on her shoulder and his lips in her hair after a rough case or her head tucked into his shoulder) that had been swept under the rug and never spoken of again. But things between them had been strained lately.

The last op they had been on, Operation Bahrain, had ended in disaster. Their intel was wrong and instead of a fleet of Dark wizards waiting for them inside an abandoned warehouse, Phil had been Stunned and knocked out, leaving Melinda alone to face, not adult Dark wizards, but a small group of young, Hogwarts-aged witches and wizards. All had sneers on their faces and their wands raised, determined to complete the mission they thought they ought to. Melinda had been forced to Stun and disarm, but her fear, adrenaline, and skill at the Charm had proven too strong for one of the young witches and she had not survived Melinda’s attack.

It had destroyed Melinda.

Gone were the easy smiles and eagerness to join the field. She shrugged off his concerns and the touches on her elbow, leaving his hand trailing after her…always trailing after her….

And it was this strain, Phil firmly believed, that led him to this moment: standing in front of Kingsley Shacklebolt, Head Auror.

“Phil, she’s gone. Kunlun needed Auror patrols, something about threats that their office couldn’t handle, and they requested backup from our department. She should be in China for the next few months or so.”

Phil’s hands clenched into fists at his side, his heart stuttering to a stop and starting again, leaving him feeling as if the air had been sucked out of him. “I-is she coming back, sir?”

Kingsley sighed. “I don’t know. And, even if she does…I’m not sure she’ll want to come back to the field, Phil.”

He nodded, swallowing hard. “I understand, sir.” He had turned on his heel, heading straight for his desk. He collapsed into the rickety chair that she used to always tease him about one day breaking and then, then he got angry. He pulled a piece of parchment from his desk, grabbed a quill, and began to write:

_Mel–_

_Kingsley just told me the news. You couldn’t tell me yourself? I thought we were partners._

_I think they’re going to pair me up with a temp, maybe give me my own crew to manage. The Potter kid we’ve been keeping an eye on starts up at Hogwarts in a few months. They’re anticipating extra security needed, maybe some undercover work. Think I’d make a good interim-Care of Magical Creatures professor?_

_I’m still mad at you, but I’m missing you already._

_Come home soon and stay safe._

_-Phil._

He rolled the letter with a flourish and attached it to his owl–a large tawny thing he called Thor. “Find her, Thor.”

Days passed before Thor returned with no letter in sight. Phil narrowed his eyes, puling another piece of parchment out. He wasn’t one to give up easily and he certainly wasn’t going to give up on Melinda. She was his best friend, his partner, his–He stopped at that thought. No use in scaring her off this early.

He grabbed his quill and began writing again.

_May–_

_That’s okay, you don’t have to write back. I know you’re busy and I can wait. The office is quiet for now, though I suspect it won’t be the case when the school year starts up. Kingsley has us on alert for any suspicious activity in Knockturn Alley._

_They’ve paired me with a new academy graduate, Skye Johnson. She’s unorthodox…reminds me a lot of me and you. I think she’ll fit in here just fine. But she’s no you._

_I_ _think Tom is wondering why you’ve stopped coming ‘round the flat. The dent in the couch you usually sit in is starting to fluff back up, so, just something to think about while you’re over there. I can’t be held responsible for the state of the couch, Mel. Still missing you._

_Come home soon and stay safe._

_–Phil._

Days went by again and Phil filled his time training up Skye, working through paperwork, and anxiously waiting for Thor to return with what he hoped was a fat, thick letter from Melinda. But no response came. Not after the second, third, or fourth letter. It didn’t stop Phil, though. He wrote letter after letter, complaining about work and the office, complimenting Skye, telling May how ready he was for her to meet his young apprentice (already envisioning the pair of them ganging up on him and it warmed his heart).

He told her that missed her every day and that he couldn’t stand the hole she’d left in his life. About 2 months since Melinda had left, Phil sat at his desk late at night, drunk and tiired and weary, but determined to write here again.

_Melinda–_

_I’m not sure how much longer I can do this without you. We’ve never been apart this long and it’s starting to scare me how much I miss you._

_Did we miss our chance, Mel? Do you ever think about me here, waiting for you? Because I’ll wait for you, Mel. I’ll wait until you’re ready to come home._

_I_ _think I might love you Melinda May._

_Come home when you’re ready and stay safe._

_Yours, Phil._

He sent it with Thor, feeling lighter and heavier all at once. There was a freedom in getting these feelings off his chest. And yet…what if she didn’t feel the same? What if this was the nail in the coffin and guaranteed her continued stay in China? He threw himself into paperwork and Skye often came into the office early to find Phil slumped over his desk, still wearing the robes from the day before. She sighed and really hoped his old partner got her act together soon, otherwise Skye wouldn’t be held responsible for her actions against the woman… It was on such a morning that Skye walked in to find Coulson at his desk, bags under his eyes and drool coating the paperwork beneath his cheek.

She sighed and walked over to him, dropping the container of Butterbeer on his desk, gently shaking him awake.

“Coulson? Coulson, c’mon, wake up, AC.” Coulson rose from sleep, reluctant to leave a rather fetching dream starring himself and May on his couch and making rather excellent use of their hands, lips, and tongues. He groaned, rubbing a hand over his face, sipping at his Butterbeer thankfully.

“Thanks, Skye. I must have fallen asleep last night.” Skye raised an eyebrow. “Shocker.” He glared and stretched, pointing at the stack of paper on her desk.

“Maybe you should get started on your stack and then we’ll hit the training circle. Your wand technique needs some work.”

She let out a bark of laughter, “You got it, AC.”

Phil eyed the sleeping owl by the window, no letter attached to his leg, and sighed. He couldn’t stop himself from hoping…just in case she ever decided to write back. He made for the door that led to the locker room when he noticed a figure trembling outside the doorway. Phil stopped cold, hardly believing his eyes.

“M-may?”

It was her. She was biting her lip and wouldn’t quite meet his eyes, but he saw a stack of letters clutched tightly in her hand. He grinned, tentatively.

“So you did get them. Was worried China mail was a little different than UK mail, you know? I mean, I know you can send letters abroad, of course, but when you didn’t respond, I wasn’t sure and –mmph.”

And suddenly he had an armful of Melinda May, pressed against him from chest to thigh, her mouth covering his, her arms wound tightly around his neck. His arms came up around her waist, instinctively, and he kissed her back, eyes slipping close at the sensation of finally having her in his arms.

She pulled away, eyes meeting his, their noses just brushing.

“I needed space, Phil. I thought I needed space, but I-I needed you. I didn’t want to scare you off, so I ran. And I was afraid if I wrote back, you’d somehow see through me, you always do. I didn’t want to scare you, but your last letter….I knew I had to try.”

Phil grinned. “You kept all of my letters?” He pressed a kiss to her cheek, nuzzling down under jaw and mouthing at the spot where her jaw and neck met.

Melinda sighed, “Every last one of them.” She put her hands on either side of Phil’s head and pulled him away so that their eyes met again.

“I love you, Phil.” Phil sighed, leaning his head into her palm. “I love you, too.”

She grinned and went to press her mouth to his once again when he pulled away, teasingly. “You owe Thor treats for a month.”

Melinda snorted, “Deal.”

Skye and Thor watched the pair embrace and they sighed (Thor letting out a little hoot).

“Nothing like old fashioned love letters to bring people together, am I right, Thor?”


End file.
